About Azrini Wahidin

Professor Azrini Wahidin (PGCE, MA, PhD, FLF, SFHEA, FAcSS) Associate Dean for Research and Innovation in the School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Law and Teesside Business School.

She contributes extensively to the Research and Innovation strategic and operational leadership in both Schools with a total of more than 200 staff, 4000 students and 8 Units of Assessment.

She researches on the issues of imprisonment, youth justice, violence against women, women in the criminal justice system, transitions out of custody, the criminalisation of migrants, the engendering of punishment and the experiences of elders in prison in the UK and USA. Her previous work focused on older women in prison, managing the needs of elders in prison, the meaning of death and dying for prisoners, youth justice, older LGBT persons, resettlement, the body and dirt. Azrini has a wide interest in the links between criminal justice and social justice, looking at race, sexuality, gender and social exclusion. She also has a strong interest in research methodologies and research ethics.

Author of a range of academic articles in international journals and edited collections. Her latest book; Ex-Combatants, Gender and Peace in Northern Ireland - Women, Political Protest and the Prison Experience, (Palgrave Press) focused on female former politically motivated prisoners and the role of transitional justice in post-conflict societies. She has recently published an edited collection with Professor Malcolm Cowburn and Professor Loraine Gelsthorpe entitled: Research Ethics in Criminology -Dilemmas, Issues and Solutions (Routledge).

She has been awarded in excess of £1 million pounds in research grants. She has carried out research for the Ministry of Justice, Home Office, Youth Justice Board, Bureau of Justice, Youth Justice Agency of Northern Ireland, ESRC, BA, HM Prison Service, NOMS, and a range of voluntary organisations. She sits on various editorial boards and has edited a number of special editions. She is currently working with Dr Linda Moore and Professor Phil Scraton on an edited book entitled: Women’s Imprisonment, Decarceration and the Case for Abolition: Critical reflections on Corston. Routledge.

She established the first undergraduate criminology programme at Kent University and at Queen’s University was Head of Criminology, providing academic leadership, strategic and operational management. Whilst at Queen’s, she was a member of the Senior Management Team, elected member to Academic Council and Senate and instrumental in the role out of Athena SWAN in the Arts and Humanities. Azrini in her role as Research Chair at Nottingham Trent University and as Acting Head of Sociology, improved research income, research outputs and impact and helped drive the successful integration of different disciplines into one Department. She led on the teaching and research work of colleagues in sociology, criminology, public health, youth studies and youth justice. She provided academic leadership, strategic and operational management. She was a member of the Athena SWAN University wide team and the International and Strategic lead for the Department of Sociology.

Research interests and activities

Azrini's research interests reflects her work in Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and her grant generation draws from the following: British Academy, Northern Ireland Commission on Children and Young People, Youth Justice Agency Northern Ireland, The Sainsbury Family Charitable Trust, Economic Social Research Council, Quaker Connections – Northern Ireland, Nottingham Crime and Drug Partnership.

She researches on the issues of imprisonment, youth justice, violence against women, the criminalisation of migrants, the engendering of punishment and the experiences of elders in prison in the UK and USA. Her previous work focused on older women in prison, managing the needs of elders in prison, the meaning of death and dying for prisoners, women in the criminal justice system, transitions out of custody, resettlement, Ex-combatants, the role of transitional justice in post-conflict societies, the body and dirt. Azrini has wide interests in the links between criminal justice and social justice, looking at race, gender and social exclusion. She also has a strong interest in research methodologies and research ethics.

PhD and research opportunities

Professor Wahidin, has supervised a number of PhD completions and welcomes the opportunity to supervise students in the broad area of criminal justice and topics related to her research interest.

The topics range from: Female Foreign Nationals in Prisons in England and Wales, The construction of the Mentally Disorder Women in 19th Century Ireland; Disability and Sexuality; The Mentally Disordered Offender in Prison in Northern Ireland; The Experiences of Transgendered persons and the Criminal Justice System; Survivor Stories of Breast Cancer; The Role of Religion in Male Prison: A Cross- Cultural Analysis.

External roles and professional activities

Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences

Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Fellow of the Leadership Foundation

Executive Member of the British Society of Criminology.

Chair of the British Society of Criminology Ethics Committee.

ERSC Member of the Peer Review College.

Athena SWAN panel member.

Guest Professor: Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tampere, Finland.

Visiting Professor at the Universiti Sainis Malaysia: Centre for Research on Women and Gender: KANITA Institute.

Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Law, University of Malaya.

Visiting International Scholar Melbourne University in the School of Political and Social Sciences.

Visiting International Scholar at the University of Sydney, Department of Law

Visiting Scholar – Florida State University

External research collaborations

1) She was involved in the European Cost Action IS1106, Network on Offender Supervision in Europe.

In the news

Call for action over transgender deathsNorthern Echo (North Edition),03/02/2018:Northern Echo (Web) 04/02/2018:
Teesside University academic Azrine Wahidin has called for all transgender prisoners to be held in the same facility to protect them from becoming victims of verbal abuse, physical assault and rape.

Sleeping out will put homelessness in the spotlightNorth East Connected (Web), 11/10/2017; Northern Echo, 12/10/2017; Northern Echo (web), 12/10/2017; TFM 02/11/2017
Professor Azrini Wahidin and Professor Dorothy Newbury-Birch will be braving the cold winter night as part of the CEO Sleepout.

Delivering aid with dignityNorthern Echo, 12/04/2017
Professor Azrini Wahidin, Associate Dean of School of Social Sciences, Business & Law spent several weeks volunteering for Refugee Support Europe at the Alexandreia refugee camp, Greece.

Why universities can't see woman as leadersThe Guardian.com (Web) 08/03/2017
Teesside University, Azrini Wahidin, associate dean for research and innovation, points to prevailing expectations: women continue to be pushed into teaching or administration role and not reasearch

BBC Radio Tees, John FosterBBC Radio Tees, 9/12/2017
New Associate Dean for Research & Innovation, Professor Azrini Wahidin talks about her new role and research background.